KAMPALA– The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leadership is seeking audience with Makerere University’s top administrators over the recently implemented 15 percent tuition increment among other concerns.
Speaking to journalists on Monday at their headquarters in Najjanakumbi, the party president Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat said the current demonstrations and suspension of students over tuition mirrors a bad image of Uganda’s top university.
“The tuition policy which required consultations from the students who are the key stakeholders at the university was rushed,” Mr Amuriat said adding that the party leadership is planning to meet Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the University Vice Chancellor to broker truce between the students and the university.
Prof Nawangwe has been in the news for intimidating and issuing students and other leaders including Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) Chairman, Dr Kamunyu Muhwezi with suspension letters over their continued stance on the state of affairs at the university.
The university recently suspended a number of students and instructed the Chief Security Officer to ensure they vacate the university premises immediately.
Some of the suspended students include Mr Johnson Emmanuel Obbo, a student of Bachelor of Arts in Education, Frank Bwambale a student of Journalism and Communication and David Musiri a student of Bachelor of Office and Information Management.
According to a suspension letter to Mr Bwambale, one of the suspended students, Prof Nawangwe noted, “I have received a report that you are alleged to be authoring several anonymous messages on social media platforms as ‘Young Thug’ with the aim of hurting both the university image, bringing university management and fellow student leaders of the 84th students Guild Council (with whom you serve as GRC member) into dispute. These actions are in breach of university policies and other national laws and give rise to both criminal and civil liability on your part.”
Others suspended without being given a hearing by the university disciplinary committee include Mr Jobs Dhabona of School of Psychology, Mr Daniel Kituno, Bachelor of Commerce External and Mr Samuel Kigula of School of Medicine.
It is from this that FDC seeks meeting Prof Nawangwe and other university top officials saying they are also stakeholders in matters affecting the university.
The university council in July this year increased tuition for all major programmes by 15 percent accumulative every year for five years, an indication that in five years, a student will be paying a 75 percent tuition increment which some students say is unfair.
